


Redemption

by TVgirll1971



Series: Innermost Thoughts [1]
Category: Whiskey Cavalier (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21801682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVgirll1971/pseuds/TVgirll1971
Summary: Charts Ray's progression throughout the season from after he's tanked his relationship with Will through the finale.
Relationships: Ray Prince/Susan Sampson
Series: Innermost Thoughts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182494
Kudos: 4





	Redemption

Will wasn't returning his calls. Ray didn't blame him. He stole his best friend's fiancee. Ray didn't even know why he did it. Blondes weren't even his type. But somehow Gigi got to him. He was having a bad day and apparently so was Gigi. Ray had gone to Will's to see him but Will was on a mission-which Ray should've remembered but didn't. Gigi was so upset about Will being gone-- all Ray wanted to do was make her feel better. All he was gong to do was talk to her. But then she got so emotional and she was so close to him and somehow it happened--she kissed him. He wanted to back away but he couldn't. He got lost in that kiss and before he knew it, they were in bed. Ray swore it wouldn't happen again, it couldn't. But Gigi kept going back to him and he was just too weak to say no. Then Gigi ended things with Will. Ray saw how brokenhearted Will was and hated it and himself. Again he tried to end things with Gigi, but she kept coming back and he found himself drawn to her no matter how he tried to fight it. For seven months he lied to his best friend's face. He wish he could explain why. However, even if he could explain it to Will, Will wasn't returning his calls. 

Ray wondered again why he came to Prague. He remembered being so happy when Director Casey gave him the opportunity to act as liaison for Will's team. He couldn't believe it. He'd been so lonely these past several weeks. Lonely and guilty. He kept replaying that last day in his head. The day that Will found out about him and Gigi. He was so angry. He was beyond angry, really. Ray had hoped Will would've visited him in the hospital but no such luck. It was radio silence. So when the chance came to work with Will again, even at a distance, Ray jumped at it. It didn't matter that it wasn't the type of job he normally did. He was a field agent. A liaison officer was more along the lines of what his father would do but it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting into Will's good graces. Unfortunately, Will wasn't receptive to Ray's help. Ray remembered Will's face at the airport. "What are you doing here, Ray?" Ray explained that he was there to lend support. "You don't need to come with us to lend support. You can be just as helpful in New York." Unfortunately, Ray didn't listen. He didn't know what he expected. He certainly didn't expect to be frozen out by the entire team. 

After Prague, Ray decided to stay in New York for the missions. Why should he waste government money traveling with them If they weren't going to ask him to do anything? He wanted to prove that he was useful but all he did in Prague was give Will a overpriced bottle of bourbon he didn't want and give him information that could've easily been sent by email. So, he sat it out when they were in Rome and he sat it out when they were in France. Well, not completely. In France, Will finally broke radio silence and called Ray. Okay, so it was just to ask him to find Susan, but that was still something. Besides, thanks to Susan, he was actually able to do something useful. It was her idea for him to contact the FBI's Cyber Division and have them upload that fake internet story. Not only did Susan show Will and the team that Ray could be useful, she was also the reason he was sitting at the Dead Drop. Okay, so he was in the back watching the team celebrate but at least he was there. That's some progress.

It was Ray's lucky day. First, he was finally able to get clearance for the team to use the facilities at The Hive's multiple European locations. To be honest, the only thing holding things up was Standish. Everyone had the proper security clearance. Will & Susan because they were FBI and Frankie & Jai because they were CIA. Unfortunately, being an analyst for the NSA for three years was not enough to grant Standish clearance. It took four months but it finally happened. Not only that, but Will told Ray he could come on the mission. Okay, granted, Susan talked him into it, plus, Will made it clear he'd only be providing support from The Hive. But it was still something! Not only would it be a chance to show Will that he could be useful, but it'd give him a chance to get in with other members of the team. He'd already started to build a rapport with Standish, plus, he'd had some nice conversations with Susan. He wanted to be a part of a team again. 

Ray hoped he didn't get in trouble for letting the team go on an off books mission to Bulgaria. But the way they begged, well honestly, he wanted to do it anyway. He just had to make sure he could swing it. Sure, it'd have to be on his own dime but considering that black market babies were involved, it was worth it. Plus, he got to get to know Emma better. He liked her. She was easy to hang around with. She and Will made more sense than Will and Gigi ever did. Emma was a spy, like Will. She understood the demands of the job and had the same commitment to it that Will did. He did think she was rushing things by buying Will a watch when they've just been dating a week, but maybe that's just his problem. Emma did have a point--the job is dangerous so why take things slow? 

Ray was having a crappy day. All the Secret Santa gifts were exchanged and Ray got nothing. Apparently, his secret Santa blew him off. He could've understood if it was Will or Frankie but was Susan. He thought they were friends, They'd had some pleasant conversations, plus she helped him prank Jai and she helped Jai prank him! The day started so well. It was SHEP: one Ray's favorite days. Unfortunately, it went to pot the minute he found out Ollerman was at The Hive being interrogated. He lost it. He shouldn't have but he did. The son of a bitch shot him for Christ's sake. Ray was mad. Beyond mad--he was furious and he viciously attacked Ollerman. He probably would've killed him if Will and Frankie hadn't pulled him off. Thanks to Ray's stupidity, Ollerman was left alone which gave him time to send a message to his minions to grab Susan for leverage. Luckily, Ray and Jai were able to rescue Susan. Unfortunately, Ollerman got away. Just another crappy day in an already crappy year. Suddenly, Ray saw Will walk over to him. Ray couldn't believe it. Will just told him he did a good job and gave him a pat on the back. Yes!! Ray thought. This is the best day ever!! 

Ray couldn't believe Will watched You've Got Mail with Frankie. That was their movie. Technically, it was Ray and Joanne's but after Joanne was gone, Will took it upon himself to watch the movie with Ray and it became theirs. It shouldn't surprise him, but Frankie doesn't even like the movie. Ray knows he deserves this but it's been months--over a half a year already. He'd hoped that Will would've forgiven by now. He shouldn't complain. Will could've died in that organ harvesting plant. Does he wish Will would've been receptive to his hug? Sure, but at least Will's alive.That's what's important. 

Ray sat staring at his phone. He couldn't believe it. Emma was dead. MI6 called him because they knew Emma had worked with the team before and they felt they should know, especially since Emma was shot down chasing a lead on The Trust. Ray didn't know how he was going to tell Will. Will hated his guts. Will needed to hear the news from someone he trusted, someone he could lean on emotionally. Then it hit him--Susan. Susan was Will's best friend. Like Ray, she'd known Will for twenty years and unlike Ray, she was smart enough not to sabotage the friendship. Plus, with her degree in psychology, it had to be Susan. Ray would have to be there to provide any details if needed but Susan had to be the one to break the news. 

Ray felt bad dumping his niece off on his mother. "I'm really sorry. Something came up. I was ordered to go to Romania on a mission." That was a flat out lie. He wasn't ordered; he volunteered. Most of the time, he loved babysitting Sadie. He used to love playing horsey with her, he loved coloring. He didn't even mind having tea parties. But she was in this "princess beauty shop" phase and it was driving him nuts. He couldn't take it anymore. On the plus side, at least it'd give him a chance to be in the field a little with Susan. They'd been sleeping together for about a month and he really liked it. Just not the sex, but being with her. 

Ray couldn't believe he and Susan had been together for about two months already. Granted, it was all secret and it was sex, but it wasn't just sex. He liked her. Really liked her. He thought back to when they first got together. She told him that he was he was a mistake, that he made her feel bad about herself. That made sense. He was this goofy guy who betrayed his best friend. She was this sexy, smart woman who probably never made a dumb move in her life. He was so far out of her league it wasn't funny. And for two months he kept waiting for it to end. She said it was going to. "This is the last time." She'd say that over and over and yet, she kept asking him to come back. Ray knew he wasn't the brightest guy out there but even he knew, you don't do that unless you actually like somebody. 

Twice in one year, Ray thought. He'd actually been in the hospital twice in one year. Both times because of Ollerman. The first time, in France--that was the worst. He was all alone. His family was all in the States. The only close friend he had in France was Will and he wouldn't see him. The only person who did visit him was Gigi but Ray made it clear that she was the worst mistake he ever made. Great time to be brave, once you've already lost everything. Ray didn't deserve another chance but somehow he got it. He became part of a team, he found himself in a relationship with an amazing woman, and he made things good with Will again. That's the thing he almost gave up on. Sure, there were times in the last part of the year where it seemed like Will had thawed some but, to hear Will say "We're good.", he didn't think that would happen. Sure, it took him almost dying for Will to say it but it didn't matter. All that mattered was Ray had redeemed himself. He had a second chance and there was no way he was going to blow it this time.


End file.
